Thermalaware Register File based on Heat Transfer

• Published in: Reliable and Autonomous Computational Science pp. 81 - 101
• Main Authors: Kim, Jungwook, Jhang, Seong Tae, Jhon, Chu Shik
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Springer Basel 2010
• Series: Autonomic Systems
• Subjects: Benchmark Program; Execution Cycle; Heat Transfer; Leakage Power; Queue Size
• ISBN: 9783034800303; 3034800304
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-0348-0031-0_5

The integer register-file is the hottest unit in a microprocessor. As techniques like DTM reduce the temperature by sacrificing the performance of a microprocessor, they are revealing their limits. Thus for minimizing the DTM-interventions, it is needed to study an architectural approach that fundamentally suppresses the heat generation in a microprocessor. We improved the existing register-file to a more effective structure for heat dissipation based on the basic principle of heat transfer. Our technique is that lowers the temperature of the higher heat source by speeding up the heat rate from the higher heat source to the lower heat source. The heat rate can be accelerated by reducing the distance between high temperature point and low temperature point. As a result, we achieved the peak temperature drop that is up to 13.5°C(13.3%) on average 9.4°C(11.3%) compared to the existing register-file. Also relative performance improvement is up to 67.7% on average 49.8%.